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Home » Chess News » Events » 73rd Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2011 » Black opening surprises dominate, Nepomniachtchi the only winner

Wang Hao was shocked by Ian Nepomniachtchi's move order which avoided the variation of the Gruenfeld he expected. A simplified position was obtained which looked like it was going to finish in a draw by repetition. However Wang Hao decided to avoid this but this only put him in slight trouble, this trouble gradually became worse and after missing 64.Nd5 which seems to draw comfortably Ian Nepomniachtchi won the only decisive game of the day.

Wang Hao - Nepomniachtchi,Ian [E60]
73rd Tata Steel GMA Wijk aan Zee NED (2), 16.01.2011

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.f3 d6 4.Nc3 e5

This is a very rare move order from Neponiachtchi. I couldn't find this position. Wang Hao decides to play it safe and trade to and ending which can't be all that favourable to him but which minimises surprise.

5.dxe5 dxe5 6.Qxd8+ Kxd8 7.Bg5 Be7 8.0-0-0+ Nbd7 9.Nh3 h6 10.Be3 c6 11.Nf2 Kc7 12.Nd3 b6 13.g3 Ba6 14.b3 Rae8 15.Bh3 Bc8 16.Kc2 Bf8 17.f4 exf4 18.Bxf4+ Kb7

Wang Hao has done quite well in creating some pressure here.

19.b4 g5 20.Bc1 Ne5 21.Bxc8+ Kxc8 22.Nxe5 Rxe5 23.Rhf1 Re6 24.Kb3 Be7 25.b5 Rd8 26.bxc6 Rxd1 27.Rxd1 Rxc6 28.Nb5 Re6 29.e3 a6 30.Nd4 Re5 31.Rf1 Kd7 32.Nf5 Ke6 33.Ng7+ Kd7 34.Nf5 Ke6 35.Ng7+ Kd7

36.Kc2

Amazing. White decides to play on instead of taking the repetition and almost immediately becomes worse.

36...Ne4 37.Nf5 Ra5 38.Bb2 Rxa2 39.Rd1+

and now whilst not lost Wang must have wondered why he just didn't repeat.

39...Ke8 40.Kb3 Ra5 41.Nxh6 Nc5+ 42.Kc2 Ra4 43.Nf5 Rxc4+ 44.Kb1 g4 45.Rd5 Ne6 46.Be5 Rc6 47.e4 f6 48.Bb2 Nc7 49.Rd3 Rc4 50.Rd4 Rxd4 51.Bxd4 b5 52.Nh6 Ne6 53.Be3 Nc5 54.Bxc5!

After this the game should still finish in a draw.

54...Bxc5 55.Nxg4 Kf7 56.h4

[56.Nh6+ Ke6 57.Kc2 a5 58.h4 Ke5 59.h5 Kxe4 60.Nf7 Kf5 61.g4+]

56...Kg6 57.Kc2 a5 58.h5+ Kg5 59.h6 Bf8 60.h7 Bg7 61.Ne3 Kg6 62.Nd5 Kxh7 63.Nc7 b4 64.Kb3?

64.Nd5 Kh6 65.Kb3 Kg5 66.Ne3 Bf8 67.Nc4 Kg4 68.e5 f5 69.Ne3+ Kg5 70.Nc4 Bg7 71.Ka4 Kg4 with a draw.

64...Bf8 65.Nd5 Kg6 66.Ka4?

Now white is just losing. But it looked difficult to save anyway.

66...Bd6 67.Kxa5 b3 68.Nc3 Be5 69.Kb4 b2 70.Nb1 Kg5 71.Kc4 Kg4 72.Kd3 Kxg3 73.Ke3 Bf4+ 74.Ke2 Bc1 75.Nc3 Kf4 76.Kd3 Kf3 77.Kc2 Bf4 78.Nb1 Kxe4 79.Kxb2 Kd3 80.Kb3 Be5 0-1

Anish Giri showed great grit and determination in surviving some more deep preparation from Jan Smeets that put him under sustained pressure. The position remained difficult throughout and Smeets couldn't find a way of exploiting his advantage. Probably there was nothing totally clear. In the end Smeets caught up on the clock and a draw was agreed.

Giri,Anish - Smeets,Jan [D44]
73rd Tata Steel GMA Wijk aan Zee NED (2), 16.01.2011

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.Bg5 dxc4 6.e4 b5 7.e5 h6 8.Bh4 g5 9.Nxg5 hxg5 10.Bxg5 Nbd7 11.exf6 Bb7 12.g3 c5 13.d5 Qb6 14.Bg2 0-0-0 15.0-0 b4 16.Na4 Qb5 17.a3 exd5 18.axb4 cxb4 19.Bf4 Bh6 20.Bd6

[20.Qd2 Bxf4 21.Qxf4 Nc5 22.Nxc5 Qxc5 23.Rfe1 Rd7 24.Re5 Bc6 25.h4 a5 26.Bh3 a4 27.Rae1 a3 28.bxa3 b3 29.Re8+ Rxe8 30.Rxe8+ Kb7 31.Qb8+ Ka6 32.Bxd7 Bxd7 33.Re1 Bc6 34.h5 d4 35.Re5 Qxa3 36.Qc8+ Kb6 37.Qd8+ Ka6 38.Qc8+ Kb6 39.Qd8+ 1/2-1/2 Zakhartsov,V (2602)-Michalczak,T (2370)/Guben GER 2011/The Week in Chess 843]

20...Bf8 21.Be7 Bxe7 22.fxe7 Rde8 23.Qd4 Rh6 24.b3 Rxe7 25.Rfc1 Ne5 26.Nc5 c3 27.Rxa7 Nc6 28.Qg4+ Rhe6

It was only about here that Jan Smeets opening preparation finished. By which time he had used only about half an hour and had a huge time advantage.

29.Nxe6 fxe6 30.Ra4

White now has to just get on with it.

[30.Raa1]

30...Qc5 31.Qg8+ Kd7

White had a bit of a think as to whether this or Kc7 was better.

32.Bf1

It may turn out that this is a bad idea, certainly Smeets seemed to think so.

32...d4 33.Bc4

33...Na5

Played after only a huge think by which time he had about the same time as Giri. Smeets was obviously looking for a clear win but couldn't find one.

33...d3 34.Bxd3 Nd4 35.Ra8 only move looks like being the best option.; 33...Ne5 34.Ba6 is fine for white. Now as the players admitted in the post-mortem both players thought black ought to be winning but that the defence of Qb8 and f3 proved a surprisingly strong defence.

34.Qb8! Qc6 35.f3! Nxc4 36.Rxb4 Nb6 37.Rxd4+ Nd5 38.Qe5 Qc7

Down to his last ten seconds Smeets offered a draw which was accepted. Probably black isn't that much better anyhow.

[38...Qc7 39.Qxc7+ Kxc7 40.h4 Rh7 41.Rc4+ Bc6]

1/2-1/2

Levon Aronian can't have been surprised by Nikaru Nakamura's choice of the Dutch Defence but he just got nothing from the opening and a draw was agreed after 17 moves.

Aronian,Levon - Nakamura,Hikaru [A89]
73rd Tata Steel GMA Wijk aan Zee NED (2), 16.01.2011

1.d4 f5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.0-0 0-0 6.c4 d6 7.Nc3 Nc6 8.d5 Na5 9.Nd2 c5 10.Rb1 e5 11.dxe6 Bxe6 12.b3

[12.Nd5]

12...d5

[12...Nc6]

13.cxd5

[13.Ba3]

13...Nxd5 14.Nxd5 Bxd5 15.Ba3N

[15.e4; 15.Bxd5+]

15...Bxg2 16.Kxg2 Nc6 17.Nf3

Draw agreed. There is very little in this position for either player.

1/2-1/2

Vladimir Kramnik played a nice exchange sacrifice against World Champion Viswanathan Anand in the Classical Nimzo-Indian for which he had a lot of compensation, in fact he was probably better if Anand had chosen to hang onto it. As it was Anand returned it almost straight away and after Kramnik avoided 18...Rc8 where there might have been some prospect of advantage a draw was quickly agreed.

Anand,Viswanathan - Kramnik,Vladimir [E32]
73rd Tata Steel GMA Wijk aan Zee NED (2), 16.01.2011

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 0-0 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.Qxc3 d5 7.Nf3 dxc4 8.Qxc4 b6 9.Bg5 Bb7 10.Rc1 c5 11.dxc5 h6

[11...bxc5 12.g3 Nbd7 13.Bg2 Bd5 14.Qc2 Qb6 15.Bxf6 Nxf6 16.0-0 Be4 17.Qxc5 Qxb2 18.Nd4 h6 19.Bxe4 Nxe4 1/2-1/2 Nedobora,M (2425)-Huzman,A (2590)/Israel ISR 2009/The Week in Chess 760]

12.Bf4 Bd5 13.Qc2 Nbd7 14.Bd6 Nxc5 15.Bxf8 Qxf8

I think we can be assured that Kramnik has prepared this position in detail. White has the exchange but it is very difficult to see how he's going to develop without returning it.

16.e3 Nb3 17.Bc4 Nxc1 18.Bxd5 Nxd5

[18...Rc8 was a suggestion by Svidler for black to play for an advantage.]

19.Qxc1 Rc8 20.Qb1 Qc5 21.0-0 Qc2 22.Qxc2 Rxc2 23.Rb1

Kramnik is happy enough to have neutralised Anand with black and in reality there is nothing left in the position.

1/2-1/2

Alexei Shirov and Magnus Carlsen discussed a sharp Scotch game where much of the play seemed forcing and ended in a draw by perpetual check.

Shirov,Alexei - Carlsen,Magnus [C45]
73rd Tata Steel GMA Wijk aan Zee NED (2), 16.01.2011

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nxc6 bxc6 6.e5 Qe7 7.Qe2 Nd5 8.c4 Ba6 9.b3 g6 10.Ba3 Qg5 11.g3 Bxa3 12.Nxa3 0-0-0

Seems to be a new idea.

[12...Nc3 13.h4 Qe7 14.Qe3 Qxa3 15.Qxc3 0-0-0 16.Bh3 Rhe8 17.0-0 Qc5 18.Rfe1 Kb8 19.Rad1 Re7 20.a4 h5 21.a5 Kc8 22.Re4 Ree8 23.b4 Qe7 24.Red4 Qxe5 25.Rxd7 Qxc3 26.Rxd8+ Kb7 27.Bc8+ 1-0 Szieberth,A (2389)-Amin,B (2133)/Tanta City EGY 2001]

13.Qe4 Qe7 14.Nc2 f5 15.Qd4 Nb4 16.Nxb4 Qxb4+ 17.Qd2 Qc5 18.f4 d6 19.b4

It seems that this is forced if white is not going to be worse.

19...Qb6 20.c5 Qb7 21.Bxa6 Qxa6 22.cxd6 cxd6 23.exd6 Rhe8+ 24.Kf2

24...Rxd6

Just taking a draw.

[24...Re6 25.Rhd1 Rexd6 26.Qxd6 Rxd6 27.Rxd6 Kc7 is unlikely to produce what black wants.]

25.Qxd6 Qe2+ 26.Kg1 Qe3+ 27.Kg2 Qe2+ 28.Kg1

The perpetual check is forced and the natural result for the game.

1/2-1/2

Erwin L'Ami quickly at least equalised as black against Ruslan Ponomariov but he saw no reason not to accept the Ponomariov's draw offer on move 21.

Ponomariov,Ruslan - L'Ami,Erwin [E59]
73rd Tata Steel GMA Wijk aan Zee NED (2), 16.01.2011

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 d5 4.d4 Bb4 5.e3 0-0 6.Bd3 c5 7.0-0 Nc6 8.a3 Bxc3 9.bxc3 dxc4 10.Bxc4 Qc7 11.Bb2 e5 12.h3 Bf5 13.Bb5 e4 14.Nd2 Rad8 15.Rc1

[15.Bxc6 0-1 Bitalzadeh,A (2310)-Werle,J (2591)/Liverpool ENG 2008/The Week in Chess 723 (60)]

15...Bg6 16.Re1 Rd5 17.Be2 Re8 18.c4 Rdd8 19.d5 Ne5 20.a4 Re7 21.Nf1

If anyone is better here it is black. He has ideas of Ne8-d6 and h5-h4. However at the moment it isn't so very much and no doubt as the outrated player with black one can't blame L'Ami for taking the draw.

1/2-1/2

Another game where Alexander Grischuk as white didn't press black at all in the opening. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave decided to trade pieces and take the easy draw.

Grischuk,Alexander - Vachier-Lagrave,Maxime [B30]
73rd Tata Steel GMA Wijk aan Zee NED (2), 16.01.2011

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Bb5 Bg7 5.0-0 Nf6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.h3

Hardly the most challenging of moves.

[7.e5 Nd5 8.Ne4 b6 9.h3 0-0 10.d3 h6 11.Re1 Qc7 12.a3 Qd8 13.Bd2 Nc7 14.b4 cxb4 15.axb4 Ne6 16.Be3 f5 17.exf6 exf6 18.Ra3 f5 19.Nc3 g5 1/2-1/2 Tebar Moreno,J (2254)-Llavador Moron,J (2108)/Benidorm ESP 2003/The Week in Chess 473]

7...Nd7 8.d3 Nf8 9.Ne2 b6 10.Nh2 Ne6 11.Rb1 0-0 12.Be3 Nd4 13.Qd2 e5 14.Nxd4 cxd4 15.Bh6 Be6 16.b3 Qd6 17.Bxg7 Kxg7 18.f4 f6 19.Rf3 exf4 20.Rxf4 Rf7 21.Rbf1 Raf8 22.Nf3 h6 23.Nh4 Kh7 24.R4f3 c5 25.Qe1 f5

Heading for liquidation and a draw.

26.exf5 Bxf5 27.Nxf5

There isn't much left to play for.

1/2-1/2

73rd Tata Steel GMA Wijk aan Zee (NED), 14-30 i 2011																cat. XX (2740)
					1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4
1.	Anand, Viswanathan	g	IND	2810	*	.	.	.	½	.	.	.	.	.	.	1	.	.	1½	2957
2.	Nakamura, Hikaru	g	USA	2751	.	*	.	.	.	½	.	.	.	.	1	.	.	.	1½	2982
3.	Nepomniachtchi, Ian	g	RUS	2733	.	.	*	.	½	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	1	1½	2950
4.	Smeets, Jan	g	NED	2662	.	.	.	*	.	.	½	.	.	.	.	.	1	.	1½	2897
5.	Kramnik, Vladimir	g	RUS	2784	½	.	½	.	*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	1	2771
6.	Aronian, Levon	g	ARM	2805	.	½	.	.	.	*	.	½	.	.	.	.	.	.	1	2782
7.	Giri, Anish	g	NED	2686	.	.	.	½	.	.	*	.	½	.	.	.	.	.	1	2645
8.	Carlsen, Magnus	g	NOR	2814	.	.	.	.	.	½	.	*	.	.	.	.	½	.	1	2763
9.	L'Ami, Erwin	g	NED	2628	.	.	.	.	.	.	½	.	*	.	.	½	.	.	1	2715
10.	Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime	g	FRA	2715	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	*	½	.	.	½	1	2752
11.	Grischuk, Alexander	g	RUS	2773	.	0	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	½	*	.	.	.	½	2540
12.	Ponomariov, Ruslan	g	UKR	2744	0	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	½	.	.	*	.	.	½	2526
13.	Shirov, Alexei	g	ESP	2722	.	.	.	0	.	.	.	½	.	.	.	.	*	.	½	2545
14.	Wang, Hao	g	CHN	2731	.	.	0	.	.	.	.	.	.	½	.	.	.	*	½	2531

Round 2 (January 16, 2011)
Anand, Viswanathan	- Kramnik, Vladimir	½-½	23	E32	Nimzo Indian 4.Qc2
Aronian, Levon	- Nakamura, Hikaru	½-½	17	A89	Dutch Leningrad
Giri, Anish	- Smeets, Jan	½-½	38	D44	Anti-Meran Gambit
Grischuk, Alexander	- Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime	½-½	27	B30	Sicilian Rossolimo
Ponomariov, Ruslan	- L'Ami, Erwin	½-½	21	E59	Nimzo Indian
Shirov, Alexei	- Carlsen, Magnus	½-½	28	C45	Scotch Game
Wang, Hao	- Nepomniachtchi, Ian	0-1	80	E60	King's Indian without Nc3

Luke McShane moved to 2/2 with a win as Black in a King's Indian against Li Chao. He leads alone and is the only player in any of the groups with a 100% start.

73rd Tata Steel GMB Wijk aan Zee (NED), 14-30 i 2011																cat. XVII (2659)
					1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4
1.	McShane, Luke J	g	ENG	2664	*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	1	.	1	.	2
2.	Sargissian, Gabriel	g	ARM	2667	.	*	.	.	.	.	½	.	.	1	.	.	.	.	1½	2855
3.	Navara, David	g	CZE	2708	.	.	*	.	.	½	.	.	.	.	.	1	.	.	1½	2888
4.	Efimenko, Zahar	g	UKR	2701	.	.	.	*	½	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	1	1½	2870
5.	Fressinet, Laurent	g	FRA	2707	.	.	.	½	*	.	.	½	.	.	.	.	.	.	1	2668
6.	Le, Quang Liem	g	VIE	2664	.	.	½	.	.	*	½	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	1	2690
7.	So, Wesley	g	PHI	2673	.	½	.	.	.	½	*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	1	2665
8.	Tkachiev, Vladislav	g	FRA	2636	.	.	.	.	½	.	.	*	½	.	.	.	.	.	1	2645
9.	Nijboer, Friso	g	NED	2584	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	½	*	.	½	.	.	.	1	2642
10.	Ganguly, Surya Shekhar	g	IND	2651	.	0	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	*	.	.	.	1	1	2657
11.	Li, Chao b	g	CHN	2649	0	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	½	.	*	.	.	.	½	2431
12.	Wojtaszek, Radoslaw	g	POL	2726	.	.	0	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	*	½	.	½	2434
13.	Spoelman, Wouter	g	NED	2547	0	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	½	*	.	½	2502
14.	Hammer, Jon Ludvig	g	NOR	2647	.	.	.	0	.	.	.	.	.	0	.	.	.	*	0

Round 2 (January 16, 2011)
Navara, David	- Le, Quang Liem	½-½	58	D11	Slav Defence
Fressinet, Laurent	- Efimenko, Zahar	½-½	30	C51	Evans Gambit
So, Wesley	- Sargissian, Gabriel	½-½	26	C45	Scotch Game
Tkachiev, Vladislav	- Nijboer, Friso	½-½	35	E60	King's Indian without Nc3
Ganguly, Surya Shekhar	- Hammer, Jon Ludvig	1-0	67	C67	Ruy Lopez Berlin
Li, Chao b	- McShane, Luke J	0-1	55	E71	King's Indian 5.h3
Spoelman, Wouter	- Wojtaszek, Radoslaw	½-½	34	E32	Nimzo Indian 4.Qc2

There is a five way tie for the lead on 1.5/2 between Mark Bluvshtein, Kateryna Lahno, Illya Nyzhnyk, Sebastian Siebrecht and Daniele Vocaturo in the C-Group.

73rd Tata Steel GMC Wijk aan Zee (NED), 14-30 i 2011																cat. XI (2507)
					1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4
1.	Bluvshtein, Mark	g	CAN	2590	*	½	.	.	.	.	.	.	1	.	.	.	.	.	1½	2722
2.	Lahno, Kateryna	g	UKR	2518	½	*	.	.	.	.	.	1	.	.	.	.	.	.	1½	2683
3.	Nyzhnyk, Illya	g	UKR	2530	.	.	*	.	.	.	.	.	.	1	½	.	.	.	1½	2730
4.	Siebrecht, Sebastian	g	GER	2439	.	.	.	*	.	.	½	.	.	.	.	.	1	.	1½	2654
5.	Vocaturo, Daniele	g	ITA	2570	.	.	.	.	*	½	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	1	1½	2641
6.	Bok, Benjamin	m	NED	2453	.	.	.	.	½	*	.	.	.	.	.	.	½	.	1	2504
7.	Pruijssers, Roeland	m	NED	2484	.	.	.	½	.	.	*	.	.	.	.	½	.	.	1	2534
8.	Tania, Sachdev	m	IND	2391	.	0	.	.	.	.	.	*	.	.	.	1	.	.	1	2574
9.	Swiercz, Dariusz	g	POL	2540	0	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	*	.	1	.	.	.	1	2513
10.	Kazhgaleyev, Murtas	g	KAZ	2637	.	.	0	.	.	.	.	.	.	*	.	.	.	1	1	2486
11.	De Jong, Jan-Willem	m	NED	2437	.	.	½	.	.	.	.	.	0	.	*	.	.	.	½	2342
12.	Ivanisevic, Ivan	g	SRB	2630	.	.	.	.	.	.	½	0	.	.	.	*	.	.	½	2244
13.	Van Der Werf, Mark	m	NED	2439	.	.	.	0	.	½	.	.	.	.	.	.	*	.	½	2253
14.	Van Kampen, Robin	m	NED	2443	.	.	.	.	0	.	.	.	.	0	.	.	.	*	0

Round 2 (January 16, 2011)
Bluvshtein, Mark	- Swiercz, Dariusz	1-0	45	E46	Nimzo Indian Rubinstein
Bok, Benjamin	- Vocaturo, Daniele	½-½	44	C80	Ruy Lopez Open
Pruijssers, Roeland	- Ivanisevic, Ivan	½-½	51	C41	Philidor's Defence
Tania, Sachdev	- Lahno, Kateryna	0-1	48	D80	Gruenfeld 4.Bg5
Kazhgaleyev, Murtas	- Van Kampen, Robin	1-0	54	D10	Slav Defence
De Jong, Jan-Willem	- Nyzhnyk, Illya	½-½	67	E62	King's Indian 6...Nc6
Van Der Werf, Mark	- Siebrecht, Sebastian	0-1	42	A20	English Opening

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